Thursday, October 27, 2005

Ever noticed the distinctive Tiger "Twirl" after Woods stripes a shot? Woods once said. "Every time I hit a good shot I give the club a twirl." He is 'tagging' the shot, attaching significance to it. This helps him recall it when he needs to draw on positive imagery for a similar shot. So take heed if you haven't 'tagged' a shot in the last 3 rounds ;-) there is always a good one around the corner!

Sunday, October 23, 2005

I am in the market for a new hybrid and am curious what other are using and why. Do you have a favorite hybrid? The market is rapidly becoming saturated and fast with these new "wonder" clubs. My Adams 5-wood I consider a hybrid but shots tend to come out low and of course run when the ball hits ground. It also has a very dull sound, not that energizing "click" you get from some other clubs. Some club that hits it high and drops the ball feathery soft would be ideal :-)

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

I mentioned Callaway Golf Magazine in one of our recent featured "Sites of the Day" at GolfDash.com but thought I would mention it here as well. the magazine obviously promotes Callaway products, players, technology, etc. but the articles, interviews, tech-talk, new products are terrific. CGM is also beautifully designed so it is very easy on the eyes. The best part, however, is that it is free. Either give them your name and address to get the print version mailed to you or download the magazine instantly via PDF file and read online or print it out. I wish someone would have told me about this earlier.

Monday, October 17, 2005

Two previous stars of golf played in tournaments this past weekend. What can we gleam from their performance?

For those of you who know and love Seve's work, he returned to the European tour this last week for the Open de Madrid. Seve has long suffered from physical ailments and maybe a few personal issues as well. In his heyday he played the brilliant golf that only a Spaniard can - with flair, emotion and a joy that seemed to flow directly from his heart. And the shots Seve could make! Unbelievable recoveries from places on a golf course that no pro is supposed to see. He was a swashbuckler if ever there was one. Anyone who saw him at his peak can only hope that Seve can come back, we want more!

Seve didn't make the cut in Madrid. He finished second from the bottom. But that doesn't mean he's not going to come back. Pro golf is tough. As we've seen with many great players who've stopped play for personal and physical reasons, you don't just start again at the top. You have to work your way back. So who knows, maybe there's life yet in the greatest Spaniard to play the game. I'm not discounting Sergio, but he's still young and has a lot of holes to walk before he reaches the rarefied place where Seve is.

And how about one of the great enigmas of golf - David Duval? I just find his story fascinating and I've been rooting for his successful comeback for the last couple of seasons. You see some of his scores over this period and you begin to think he's finished as a tour pro. Then you hear another pro say that he's still got game. What's really going on?

Perhaps some good news about David in last week's Michelin. He didn't make the cut, BUT did you check out his scores? Thursday he shot a 73 and Friday a 65. A 65 is not too shabby! Maybe he is finding his game. It's almost the end of this year's golf season. Is a 65 enough to inspire David to really get on it during the offseason, to come out guns blazing at next year's Mercedes kickoff? I for one sure hope so. How about this for a list of top 10 names for next year; Woods, Singh, Els (talk about coming back), Couples, Daly, Montgomerie, Furyk, Mickelson, Goosen, and Garcia. And maybe, just maybe, a certain Mr. Duval.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

According to Sports Marketing Surveys (which produces data on the equipment players use) Titeist came out way on top as the ball most pros prefer. Points were awarded as follows: 10pts for the brand used by the winner, 8pts for the runner-up, etc., etc. Due to Titleists' Pro V1 and Pro V1x models comfortably out-scored the competition. The premium ball market has seen some serious launches in recents years but it appears Titleist clearly leads the way.

Thursday, October 06, 2005

We've all seen it now. Michelle Wie has turned pro and after only a couple of days is a millionaire. This despite the fact she has never won a tournament as a pro. What does it all mean?

I have nothing against Michelle. She's an extremely talented golfer, personable and well-spoken. She's already done some amazing things on the golf course at a very young age. She has as good a chance as any female to crack the men's tour if she so chooses. But how does she get millions of dollars before she's even started.

Michelle Wie is not unique in this respect. We see the humongous contracts that young athletes routinely get every day. Young basketball players are famous for getting dizzying sums just because they 'might' turn out to be superstars. But a lot of them don't. Still the marketing firms don't lose. It's liking investing venture capital in startup companies. You back 10 and if just one turns out to be the next Microsoft or Google you make out like a bandit. So maybe Michelle is the next Google of the golf world.

But does it make sense, or has the power of the dollar run amok? Reminds me of a tag line for a clothing store ad run frequently on a NJ radio station in the 60's - Money talks, nobody walks'. Was there ever a society more focused on the dollar. It's not that money is bad, but should it be at the very top of any society's list of 'What's Important'? And when it is, isn't that a surefire sign that it's about to crumble?

So how does this relate to our favorite subject, Golf? I'd like to think that golf owns the high moral ground compared to other major sports. I don't think there's a steroid problem, players don't get paid unless they earn it and what major sport raises more money for charity. And no matter how much endorsement money Michelle gets, she won't get a place on the roster unless she earns it. Ok, there are sponsors exemptions, but there aren't many and they do serve a purpose - I think.

My plea is for those who manage professional golf to keep the game's integrity. Don't start rigging the rules because the sponsors who pay the hopeful superstars apply pressure. That's the temptation that has taken most every other major sport down the proverbial primrose path. Golf by it's nature is a game of character. You who keep the clockworks oiled please keep it that way.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Wanted to follow up on a site we featured recently in GolfDash about Biomechanics. This was from a UK publication called, Play Better Golf. While most established tour pros have a coach and a psychologist but very few have a biomechanics expert as part of their team.

It seems your golf technique is often compromised by poor biomechanics. So, in other words, no matter how hard you try to emulate Tiger Woods' rapid hip clearance or Fred Couples' flexible turn, you won't be able to achieve it if you don't have the physical capability to make those movements.

Biomechanics experts, unlike PGA professionals (who have a detailed knowledge of golf swing fundamentals) golf biomechanics experts use advanced physical assessment and training technique to improve flexibility, muscle performance and joint stability. Then, according to the results, a program (personalized exercises) is established that targets your physical weaknesses.

The line often gets blurred when you "think" you are suffering from bad golf swing mechanics (poor weight shift, for example) when the real issue might be an inflexible pelvis. Some common physical problems that can interfere with your golf swing mechanics are: one leg slightly longer than another, tight nerves in arms and legs, poor "core" abdominal muscle control, limited flexibility and incorrectly positioned pelvis. Further, these issues can also cause injuries due to compensatory muscle group movements.

If you're curious about the company featured head over to GolfDash and you can find the company in our Featured Sites Archives (just click on the green circled capital A) - However, you must be a member to do so. Register here (it's free) to get access to the archives (and other goodies)

Saturday, October 01, 2005

I seem to be seeing more and more professional golfers involved in the wine business. One of the first, I believe, being Greg Norman. Personally I am a pretty big fan of his reds, my favorite being the cabernet/merlot blend and for approximately $17 or so a bottle it is a terrific value. Recently Ernie Els and Mike Weir have put there names (and bucks) into blends bearing their names. I have not tried these but would be interested if anyone has. Another professional, David Frost has also been in the wine business for quite some time. It often seems an odd juxtaposition for me, wine & golf but let's face it, it's business.